Holiday Reunion (Hollyberry Harbor #1)

Chapter 13

THIRTEEN

Sarah took the new letter she’d received from the bank and tore it into pieces. She let out a strangled, frustrated sound. Apparently, the bank was going to still give her until the end of the year before they evicted her. She didn’t know if James had something to do with that, and frankly, she didn’t care.

Her heart had been broken. She didn’t want to carry on when she knew there was no way for her to save the bakery. The ‘Going Out of Business’ sign had already been hung in the window and the few treats she’d made continued to sell out. It appeared that the community had heard about her struggles and now they were showing up in droves to purchase her pastries.

Where had they been when she wasn’t a charity case? Where was the support when she had been struggling to care for her ill father?

It was difficult not to feel jaded over the whole thing. While she could consider staying open past Christmas, deep down, she knew her heart wouldn’t be able to handle it.

She left her office and headed to the kitchen. The day she’d moved into this bakery had been and continued to remain the best day of her life. It had been run down and in need of a couple repairs—something she and her father had done together. It still looked just as good as the day she’d opened shop.

Her heart broke a little more as she wandered along the stainless-steel covered islands and past the commercial mixers. Every ounce of blood, sweat and tears she’d paid for this place had been worth it. She refused to regret a single day she spent in this kitchen.

“Still here, huh?”

Sarah glanced up to see Brie standing in the doorway like she had a tendency of doing. She’d left after they had run out of desserts. It was dark out, but several visitors were still enjoying the festival and they’d be doing so for the next couple of hours. This time next week, the festival would be over, and the bakery would be closed. This whole street would be changed into something unrecognizable and no one would care.

Brie must have caught Sarah glancing out the window. “I don’t care what you might be thinking, they will miss you when you’re gone.”

She huffed. “You don’t know that.”

“I do.” Brie moved into the kitchen and placed her purse on a nearby counter. You know that night you had your last date with James?”

Sarah groaned. “Don’t remind me. That relationship was not my finest moment.”

Brie gave her a pointed look but didn’t comment on her statement. “Anyway, that night, we ran out early. There were droves of people coming to the bakery to take what you’d prepared.”

That didn’t make sense. She’d absentmindedly made too much that night.

“I know, right?” Brie chuckled, her statement matching the expression on Sarah’s face. “I was surprised, too. Part of me wondered if you’d put out word about us closing already. But no one was aware. I even asked a few people and they were shocked to find out.”

It didn’t surprise Sarah in the least. While it was hard to keep secrets in this small town, she made it a point to keep her struggles private. Of course, there were times when that just wasn’t possible, like when her father had gone into the hospital. But for the most part, she didn’t want folks around here to make judgements when they had no idea what she was going through.

“I still don’t understand what it was about that night, but it taught me one thing. These people still love your bakery. If the situation was different, I would bet they’d still come and maybe more often.”

“Well, the situation isn’t different. James has seen to that.”

“You can’t blame him for everything, Sarah.”

She shot a dark look at her friend. “He did a lot to make this happen. I can’t prove it all, but I know it makes more sense than?—”

“Do you really think that James has it in him to be so vindictive? I’ve only seen him around a couple times, but he’s like a boy scout. I can’t see him being dishonest about anything. I would wager that he was doing everything he thought was right to help out Lake Harbor Avenue.”

Sarah huffed.

“And I think he genuinely wanted to help you .”

She didn’t dare lift her eyes to look at Brie fully. Doing so would likely trigger the tears that had finally managed to dry up.

“Think about it, Sarah. You preach about tradition and community. You want everyone to be able to experience this place for what it was, but if that can’t happen, don’t you suppose that James’s idea might help? If there is no Lake Harbor to come back to, then why allow your stubbornness to be the thing that stops its progression? If it came down to the whole place dying or being saved through a rejuvenation project, which would you rather?”

That question wasn’t something Sarah wanted to think about. It made her head hurt and her stomach uneasy. “Of course I wouldn’t want this place to die ,” she muttered.

“See? So maybe you don’t like the way James is trying to fix things, but at least he’s doing something. That’s more than a lot of people can say.” Brie was right. Dang it all! She was bringing clarity to something Sarah had allowed become so foggy and grey.

This town, this harbor was more important to her than her stubbornness. She’d rather see the people of this town enjoy it for what it could be even if that meant erasing some of the history they had here.

And Brie was right about James, too. He’d shown up. Time and time again, he’d demonstrated that he just wanted to keep Lake Harbor running. Her views on tradition were important but lost that importance if the harbor died. Likewise, her love for James would no longer matter if she tore a rift too deep for them to overcome. She needed to prioritize what could be salvaged.

“You should call him,” Brie whispered.

Sarah glanced up at her friend with a sigh. “Yeah, I guess I should.”

“And?”

She bit back an embarrassed smile. “What do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know,” Brie drawled. “But an apology would be a good start.”

Inwardly, Sarah bristled. She didn’t like the idea of admitting she was wrong when it came to her ideals. She still didn’t think she was wrong about what this place could have become if it had just been given the chance. But she could tell James she was sorry for overreacting. She could tell him that deep down she knew he wasn’t trying to sabotage any of this. But most of all, she could tell him that while she appreciated his offer to partner with her, she simply couldn’t sell out. Making minor changes was one thing. But to relinquish ownership to someone who could force her hand and demand bigger changes was something else entirely.

Taking in another deep breath, she looked up at Brie. “Even if I wanted to talk to him, it’s a moot point. He’s gone. And after the way I spoke to him, I doubt he would pick up the phone. No one would want to talk to me after what happened.”

Brie reached out and touched Sarah’s hand briefly. “I think you underestimate the way he feels about you.”

Sarah huffed.

“I mean it. I’ve never seen a guy look at a girl like the way James looks at you.”

She couldn’t dare hope. If there was even a chance that James wanted her back, she’d regret not trying. But knowing there was just as much of a chance that he’d turn her down made her feel panicked. It terrified her more than losing the bakery.

And that was the ultimate realization.

“What are you waiting for?” Brie murmured, her lips tugging into a smile. “Who cares where he is or whether or not he wants to see you. Make him. Tell him how you feel.”

“It won’t be that easy.”

Brie shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. You don’t know until you try.”

Sarah nodded. “You’re right.” If the flutters in her stomach and the pounding of her heart weren’t enough, the exhilaration pushed everything over the edge. She was going to confront James. Not because she wanted anything from him regarding Lake Harbor, but because her heart demanded to be heard.